The Escape
by HyperionX
Summary: Another surprise attack was tearing them apart. They had no choice but to retreat, but she didn't know where she was inside the castle. At least she wasn't alone. Now that they got each other, maybe escaping danger won't be so bad.
1. Castle Escape

She slowly opened her eyes, only to see nothing but darkness. To her relief, she saw a dim source of light when she glanced to her right. It was a lamp stand, located at the far corner of the room. It was her only source of light, as the room didn't seem to have any windows. Of all the things it didn't have… Strange, she doesn't really remember how she ended up here in the first place. The last memory she could recall was being in the castle garden, then everything just seemed to fade out after that. She didn't think she was kidnapped or something, because that dim source of light helped her recognize the design of the room. She knew she was in the same castle as before – her current temporary home, which has been for a few days.

So why was she tied up to a chair?

She tried to struggle herself in hope of making these ropes loose, but to no avail. Just how did this happen? Did someone invade the castle? Now that she thought about it, the whole kidnapping scenario was making more sense. No… what if the others were also in the same situation as her? She shook her head. Now isn't a good time to be so negative. She had to think the opposite. But… what exactly are the positive things about her current situation? Nothing, she concluded.

Her train of thought was suddenly disrupted. Thanks to the eerily silent atmosphere, she could hear lone footsteps, yet this only made things tenser for her. She didn't know what to make out of it. What if that person was one of the enemies - the ones who most likely did this to her? But then, what if it were her allies? She had to trust them, she knew they were strong enough to defeat those guys, but she had to take small steps to her goal - escape. The first was to get out of this chair.

She tried to struggle again with those ropes, but it was futile. It was too early to give up, she thought. The uneasy feeling quickly made her formulate another plan: If she doesn't struggle her hands so much, maybe it could slide free if she moved slowly. And she did.

Yet it all came to nothing. These ropes were just too tight.

She heard the footsteps getting even closer. The heat was getting to her, with beads of sweat forming on her forehead. It was gonna be a life or death situation, and she really prayed hard that it was the former. The sounds of tapping footwear suddenly stopped. She gulped in fear. She could see it… a faint outline of a person. W-why did it stop in front of the room she was currently in? She felt her heart beat faster. It was approaching her. It was getting closer, and the ever-increasing volume of the footsteps wasn't helping her stay calm at all. Was this the end of the line? So soon? But, the instant she saw the slightest outline of the footwear, she recognized it immediately, and it made her so relieved.

"X-Xiaoqiao?" She said rather weakly.

Her little sister kneeled and embraced her, making her much more calm about the current situation.

Her little sister cried. "Sis, I'm so glad I found you…!" She tried her best to keep her voice down.

That part of Daqiao's shirt became soaked with her tears, but she didn't mind. What matters most is that she's not hurt. But the full-fledged fear she saw on her sister's face gave her a sign that this wasn't even the worst part.

"Xiaoqiao, what's going on?"

The frown never left Xiaoqiao's face. "Sis, t-they're attacking us."

She gasped. So it really happened. The worst case scenario became real. "Oh no…"

Xiaoqiao's mouth quivered. She felt so guilty and embraced her sister again, burying her face on her chest. "I'm so sorry sis! I should've went with you, we could've knocked those meanies down and escaped together."

"Xiaoqiao…" She was taken aback by her sudden apology, but she understood right away. "It's not your fault, okay?" Right now, she wanted to comfort her, and if she could just return the hug, but these ropes were just too stubborn. "But right now, I need your help untying these ropes."

Xiaoqiao looked up at her, still snuffling from the guilt she was feeling.

"Pretty please?" Daqiao did her best to put up a nervous smile, to at least decrease some of the tension.

Xiaoqiao nodded and smiled slightly. She got up on her feet and went behind the chair, but she a had a bit of a problem. "Uhh sis, I-I can't really see anything behind here…" But she quickly thought of an idea. "I'll be right back." She walked past her sister and tried carrying the lamp stand itself. It certainly was heavier than it looked, making it a bit of a problem for her. As she tried carrying it, she could feel that pain again, but she tried her best to not make it so obvious. If her sis finds out about _it…_ she can't, she didn't want to make her cry.

Daqiao noticed Xiaoqiao's struggle. She frowned. "Xiaoqiao, you don't have to force yourself, we can think of another way."

"N-no, it's okay…" She tried sliding it, and it was a success, somehow. Luck was on her side for making the bottom of that stand as smooth as it can be. Now she can finally free her sister. She kneeled and tried to untie the ropes, however, just as her sister struggled, she also had a little difficulty untying it. "These ropes are so tight…"

Daqiao provided some assistance as well. "Maybe if I make my hands straight…" She uncurled her hands. "Okay, try it now…"

And it was a success. The ropes that entangled her feet were much easier to remove. Finally, she was able to stretch and move both her hands and feet freely. Now she could embrace her little sister. "Thank you so much Xiaoqiao…"

Xiaoqiao returned the hug. "No problem sis… but we have to hurry!" She held her sister's hand and they started to run out of the room.

Now they could see better, as the hallway had torches placed on the walls just beside each room's entrance.

"Are we meeting up with the others?" It was Daqiao's conclusion. Surely, Xiao couldn't have gone here by herself, right? Well, she always had that desire to go out to the battlefield with her eagerness to help, but surely she wasn't that reckless to go off in a solo rescue mission?

This made Xiaoqiao stop. They stopped beside a room, granting them the torch as a close light source. "Sis, what do you mean? I came here by myself."

And that's exactly what Daqiao didn't want to hear. She held her sister's shoulders firmly. "What?! So you really came here by yourself?! Xiaoqiao, don't you know how dangerous it is? You could've gotten hurt really badly!"

Xiaoqiao frowned. "But sis, look! I'm already here aren't I? I got here safe and sound…" Yet she muttered, "mostly…" while holding her upper right arm.

Daqiao heard it however. Fear was invading her mind. "M-mostly…?" She noticed the way Xiaoqiao was holding her right arm. It seemed… off. She gently moved Xiaoqiao's left hand from her right arm, to which Xiaoqiao didn't bother hesitating anymore, and it was a sight that made her gasp in horror and made her cover her mouth with both hands. It was a large gash, and there was still a little amount of blood flowing from it; her sister's orange sleeves becoming even more stained with red. "X-Xiaoqiao…"

The thick silence; Xiaoqiao didn't like it at all. She didn't like how she could hear the tears from her sister's face hitting the wooden floor. She hated seeing her cry, she didn't like seeing her look so hurt. And to think this time it was because of her. "I-I'm sorry…"

All Daqiao could do now was to embrace her as her tears continued to fall. "I-I can't… I can't lose you too…" She could feel her sister returning the hug. Her husband's death was already painful enough, but her only sister… no, it was too much to bear.

And Daqiao was determined to not let that happen. "It's my turn, to save you."

"Sis…" She tightened her hug, basking in her sister's warmth that comforted her, a much-needed feeling after all the horrible events that happened today.

But, it wasn't over yet.

She held her elder sister's hand. "Okay, let's get out of here!" Her usual cheerful attitude was slowly coming back.

"W-wait!" Daqiao ripped a part of her sleeves. "Just hold still," she reached for Xiao's upper right arm, and wrapped her makeshift bandage around the large gash. "I heard this can help in preventing further blood loss. It should be alright for now."

Xiaoqiao finally saw her sister smile again – one that wasn't mixed with any tears or sadness. It was a genuine one. That smile, she was really thankful that she had a big sister who was so caring and cute. She grinned. "Yup! Thank you sis-"

Suddenly, they heard a frightening sound. It sounded like the walls were destroyed, and to their confirmation, they looked to their right, and they saw that the room has been partially destroyed thanks to a boulder. It was covered in flames.

Wait a minute, Daqiao thought. Most of the things here are made of wood, then doesn't that…

To her horror, the fire was spreading, fast. "Run!"

They ran as fast as they can to the end of the hallway, with the numerous torches serving as their guide so they wouldn't run onto any walls.

Daqiao looked behind and saw how the fire was catching up to them. They had to get out of here quickly.

They soon stopped as they encountered two different paths – an intersection of some sort. It was either they go straight or go to the left. Xiaoqiao recalled it quickly. "This way sis!" They took the path ahead.

But things didn't go as planned, as the path was soon engulfed in flames by the already-ignited falling debris. Daqiao soon realized it: those invaders, they were attacking multiple areas of the castle, rather, they were destroying it.

Since they had no other choice, they had to go left. They just hoped that it wasn't a dead end. But this path looked different. It was too narrow, well, at least compared to that other path and the other hallways in the castle they remembered passing through during the peaceful days.

Xiaoqiao frowned. "Something doesn't feel right about this place…" Who knew the castle had a place like this?

Daqiao agreed, but what else can they do? "I-I thought so too, but we have no other choice…" She looked behind, and saw the intense bright flames getting dangerously close, decimating everything in its path. "We have to keep moving! Come on!" She grabbed her hand.

They encountered a flight of stairs that was leading down. It looked too dark, even with the raging flames just behind them. But they continued running; there was simply no time to rest anymore.

After using up all their energy to run, they finally found a large single door. It was a metal door, so it had to be heavy; another obstacle they had to encounter. Yet it also had its benefits. With the concrete walls and this, the fire shouldn't be able to go through, hopefully, Daqiao thought.

She saw the lock and realized it was a familiar one. It should be easy to unlock as all it needs is to rotate that big piece of wood in the middle, but that wasn't the part she was afraid of. It was opening the door itself. With Xiaoqiao's wounds, it was gonna take awhile to open it. But time was running out.

Daqiao pushed as hard as she can, but the door was only opening slowly.

Xiaoqiao wasn't just gonna stand there, no way. "Sis, let me help!"

But her elder sister hesitated. "But you're injured!"

"No it's okay, I can use my left side to push."

Daqiao just had to agree with her. This was no time to argue.

And soon, the opening was enough for the two to get in.

Daqiao let her little sister go first, as she grabbed the torch near the door before going in.

They pushed back as hard as they can to close it, to prevent the fire from getting in. In the nick of time, they closed it successfully. Daqiao secured the door by putting the piece of wood back in its original place.

As she expected, the room had two unlit torches on each end of the door. She used her torch to light both up, and placed it down afterwards, the feeling of exhaustion finally kicking in.

The two sisters just slowly sat down by the door, using it as something to lean on. They panted.

Xiaoqiao rested her head on her sister's left shoulder, chuckling weakly. "We made it…" So tired, she thought.

Daqiao chuckled as well. "Yeah…" She placed her hand over her chest, feeling the rapid beating of her heart.

Their quick and heavy breathing echoed throughout the room. They were able to see each other's faces, thanks to the two torches.

Xiaoqiao had to take her time to catch her breath, before asking, "What is this place?" She could only move her eyes to look around and her head slowly, as her body was still exhausted from all the running, not to mention her large wound slowing down her recovery. Yet all she could see was nothing but darkness. She literally couldn't see anything beyond what the two torches could illuminate. The thick darkness, despite her usual cheerful attitude and willingness to go out in battle, was one of her weak points.

Daqiao stood up slowly, still tired. She grabbed one of the torches, as the one she brought in had died out. "Xiaoqiao, just stay by the light okay?"

"Sis? Where are you going?" She didn't want her sister to leave her side, not to mention how comfortable she was getting using her shoulder as a pillow.

"Don't worry, I'm not going far." She walked to every corner of the room, hoping to find at least something useful. All she found was nothing but gathered dust, making her sneeze rather cutely.

While Xiaoqiao couldn't see her sister's face clearly, she could imagine how she looked like when she sneezed. It made her chuckle. _Sis is so cute!_

Daqiao walked straight and seconds later, she indeed didn't go far. She realized the room wasn't that big, as she already reached the other side. She walked by the wall and soon found a door. She suddenly heard her sister.

"S-sis? What's happening there?" Whatever her sister was looking at was all a blur to her, being at the other end of the room and all.

Daqiao turned the wooden lock around and opened the door slowly with how heavy it was. Seeing what's on the other side gave her a little relief.

Xiaoqiao could only hear the commotion, and it was making her curious. "Sis?"

Daqiao walked back towards her little sister. "Looks like we found the exit," she smiled, which Xiaoqiao also returned. "Come on, let's go." She gently pulled Xiaoqiao's uninjured arm to help her stand up.

As they got out of the room, with Daqiao securing the door lock in place, Xiaoqiao couldn't help but wonder as she looked back, "What was the point of that room? I mean it was empty and it was between these two hallways…"

Daqiao has been thinking hard about it too, but even she couldn't come up with a definite answer. "I'm not really sure, but that's not our concern right now. We just have to focus on getting out of here, and treat your wound." She decided that the torch wasn't that useful anymore, as the moonlight helped in making them see clearer. This hallway they just went in was like that of a terrace or balcony, with its one side being open for viewing pleasures of nature surrounding the castle.

This area of the castle still remained untouched. It was so quiet, yet that gave them an eerie feeling, since it was only the two of them walking there.

Xiaoqiao frowned. _I wonder what's happening on the other side… I hope they're…_ She suddenly felt her knees tremble making her grab her sister's shoulder, groaning.

"Xiaoqiao what's wrong?!"

Xiaoqiao put a hand over her forehead. "I'm just feeling a little light-headed…" She looked down on the floor.

"We really have to treat your wound." Daqiao held her shoulders. "But are you sure you can walk? I can go look for something in those rooms while you rest here." She glanced at the said rooms to the right.

Xiaoqiao shook her head, and tried her best to put up a smile. "No, it's okay, I can keep going."

"Are you sure? We can rest for awhile, this place doesn't seem-" They heard an explosion from their right. The once serene area had now turned to chaos. It was the same culprit – a flaming boulder. Both sisters were really getting anxious seeing the same weapon of peril again.

Time was of the essence. Daqiao grabbed her little sister's hand. "Run!"

As they ran, they witnessed the flames engulfing everything in its path, even the ceiling, which caused debris to fall.

Xiaoqiao, however, couldn't keep up. She was getting tired too quickly. _So tired…_ "Sis… wait…!" She let go of her sister's hand and grabbed on to the nearby railing, slowly collapsing to the floor.

"Come on, we have to keep moving!"

Xiaoqiao panted. "You have to… leave without me sis..." All this running had finally taken a toll on her. She's been running ever since she decided to rescue her sister, but now, her body was giving up.

"W-What? What are you saying?!" Tears were already forming in Daqiao's eyes. Her sister was giving up… why?

Hearing her sister's whimpers made her feel guilty, but her body was too exhausted. "I can't… run anymore…" Her heart was beating so fast.

Daqiao kneeled beside her. "Y-you can't give up now! Please…."

The flames were catching up.

"Sis, please… you have to go…" _At least I was able to free sis from those ropes... now she has a chance... but me..._

But Daqiao disagreed. What was the point in rescuing her if one of them doesn't make it out alive in the end? She didn't want her sister's courageous attempt to rescue her be all for nothing. She didn't want that outcome, never. "…No…" She furrowed her brows. "I'm not leaving you behind! Understand?!"

Xiaoqiao was surprised by her stern tone.

Daqiao put her hand behind Xiaoqiao's back and the other under her knees. She gathered all her strength and carried her little sister, bridal style. "We are getting out of here, together!" All this strength - she was in a state of adrenaline rush.

Xiaoqiao put her uninjured arm around her sister's neck. She was left speechless. To think that her big sister had such strength, she was really amazed. And to think she would go this far for her. _Sis…_

As the flames got dangerously close, Daqiao started running faster. "We are NOT gonna die here!" Her roar echoed through the area, proving her determination to save her sister. In her current state, she couldn't feel the exhaustion, her feet just kept moving as fast as they can. It was like she was temporarily boosted with a lot of stamina. _Come on!_ She could see the end of the hallway. The stairs leading down was in their sights.

But the flames were still catching up. No, that didn't scare her, not this time. _Just a little… more!_ Another boulder from the other side emerged from one of the rooms, turning the debris from the wrecked room and hallway into dangerous shrapnel-like projectiles.

The worst had happened. Large pieces of debris blocked the way down. Daqiao gulped. They had no choice. This was their only chance. She looked at her sister, "Hold on tightly okay!"

Xiaoqiao followed her command, but she had no clue what her sister was going to do, until…

She jumped halfway down from the side of the stairs, just high enough to reduce the chance of injury, and just in time before the whole area was engulfed in flames.

The sisters rolled through the grass, breathing heavily.

* * *

Everything seemed to move slow in Daqiao's eyes, from the rising of the smoke, and to the thousands of falling debris. Unwanted tears and cuts had designed her clothes. Her adrenaline rush had ended, and she soon felt all the exhaustion and how drained she really was. She took one last move to turn her body around, and she saw her little sister. She heard her coughing, but it was her sign of relief, knowing that she was still alive. A weary smile formed on her face.

At least now, she could close her eyes. She slowly drifted into unconsciousness, only hearing the muffled voice of her sister calling her out before everything went dark.


	2. Away From Danger

It was horrifying. This was the one of the worst experiences Xiaoqiao ever had. She kept coughing; inhaling some of the smoke was not the best idea she had. But it's not like it couldn't be prevented. She landed on her back after rolling through the grass, and as she glanced to her left, she couldn't help but stare at the terrifying sight. This whole portion of the castle was in flames. It was much like a candle – it would soon burn out, leaving nothing. Now she realized it. If her big sister didn't jump, they would've surely been engulfed by the flames. Wait…

Speaking of her sister, where was she? Xiaoqiao glanced to her right, and there she saw her. However, as much as her mood quickly changed to gladness, it changed to worry and terror instantly. "S-Sister?" Her voice cracked. Her sister wasn't moving. "SISTER!" She tried standing up, but her legs felt like jelly. She had no choice but to crawl to her side, but even that was a little painful. She could only use her left arm to crawl and pull herself closer, staining her clothes with dirt. _Please, please be okay!_

As she reached her sister's side, she inspected her carefully. Her clothes were dirty, and it had some tears as well, not that she really cared about that, but to her it showed how much she shielded her from all those flying debris. And because of this, she can't help but think… no! She just can't! She knew her sister was strong, that she could handle this, that they were gonna get out of here together like she said, but why wasn't she showing any signs? Why wasn't she moving? Why was she… _dead?_ Before she even realized it, tears were constantly falling from her face, soaking a part of her sister's clothes. She lied down next to her, their faces just inches apart.

It was quite a funny thought. The more she observed her, the more she thought how peaceful she looked. With the way her chest was gently moving up and down, to the way she-

Wait… didn't that mean… All hope inside Xiaoqiao rose up. She put her head near her sister's chest, taking a moment to listen. It was beating. It was beating! An overwhelming feeling of relief and happiness came upon her. _Sis!_ She chuckled in relief, wiping her tears away.

She just wanted to cuddle up next to her and rest for who knows how long, but this wasn't exactly the best place, being near a burning castle and all. That and the bandits too.

Xiaoqiao heard their voices. She raised her head slowly and saw them in the distance. They had to get out of here quickly. She shook her sister lightly, whispering, "Sis, wake up." But she didn't even respond. She tried again, shaking her a little more. "Sis, come on! The meanies are here!" Yet her sister was too deep in her state of unconsciousness. She pouted, letting out a cute little groan. _Why'd you have to sleep so peacefully now…_

Xiaoqiao tried not to panic. Maybe if they stayed still, they wouldn't notice? Well, her sister was already playing the part, so why not do it as well?

The sizzling sounds of the wood burning in the fire, the violent drops of the debris, even though she could only hear them, the image was still clear as if her eyes weren't even closed.

After a few tense moments, Xiaoqiao sighed in relief. She didn't hear or see anyone come close. Now what was the plan? She shook her sister's shoulder, but still to no avail.

She suddenly smirked. _This one should work!_ She tickled her belly and side… but even this devious plan had no effect. Xiaoqiao frowned. She had no other choice. She tried standing up slowly, but her legs were wobbly, making her almost lose her balance. The fact that she could finally get up on her feet was a big achievement for her. _Now, to get sis out of here…_

Even bending her knees took a lot of effort. But how was she gonna pull her sister with just one hand? Her wound stung again, making her hold it for awhile. _If only I didn't get this wound…_

She tried her best. Surprisingly, she got to at least move her a little. Slowly, she pulled her through the grass, and she remained careful in case there were stones and rocks along the way. She felt a little guilty about this, but she couldn't think of any other way.

Currently, it worked in her favor, but she couldn't help but worry. She knew her physical strength wasn't the best, and that only made it more concerning. _Is sister eating enough?_

That matter aside, she sighed. If this kept up, she really hoped she wouldn't get muscles from this; one arm being larger than the other just looked weird.

* * *

Daqiao had to open her eyes, because the sunlight aimed directly at them. Ugh, that wasn't the best way to wake up at all. She pulled her head up, and observed her surroundings. There was nothing but nature – beautiful trees, animals running about, and blooming plants. Everything looked so peaceful. Was she in heaven? She really hoped not, because whoever was yelling "SIIIIIIIS!" sounded exactly like-

Xiaoqiao tackled and hugged her. "I'm so glad! You finally woke up!" She nuzzled her cheeks with hers.

Daqiao was startled, but soon came back to her senses and hugged her back, smiling. "Glad to see you too, Xiaoqiao." She took a second to glance around again. "Where are we exactly?"

Xiaoqiao let go of the hug and sat down beside her. "I'm not really sure where we ended up last night…" _This is the best spot I could find…._

"Wait, did someone help us? I mean, it's not like you dragged me all the way here, right?" The guilt she would feel for burdening her would be too much.

Xiaoqiao scratched the back of her head, smiling nervously. "Oh… about that…" She chuckled nervously. "S-Sorry for getting your back dirty…"

Daqiao gasped. "W-what?!" She held Xiaoqiao's hand and bowed her head. "Please forgive me!"

"W-what? No, sis, it's okay, really!"

"But Xiaoqiao…" She looked up at her.

Xiaoqiao grinned. "Don't worry about it sis!"

Daqiao frowned. "I must've been really heavy to carry…"

"Actually, I had to pull you because I can only use my other arm." She smiled nervously. "T-that's why your back is dirty..."

That only made Daqiao feel worse. How was she going to make it up to her? She had to think of one. But her thoughts were interrupted as she felt Xiaoqiao's hand on her shoulder. Her little sister looked concerned.

"Sis, have you been eating enough lately? You know, when I was pulling you, you felt a little… light."

Daqiao shook her head slowly. "With all the battles, the many times we had to move to other places, we didn't really have the time to rest and eat properly, didn't we?" As if on cue, her stomach growled loudly, making her blush. Somehow, it reminded her how long she hasn't eaten. Ever since she got "kidnapped" yesterday, her stomach hasn't digested anything. She was a bit surprised that it only started complaining now.

Xiaoqiao giggled. "Then how about we go eat some apples!"

Daqiao turned her head to where her little sister was pointing, and there she noticed the tree right beside them - an apple tree.

The sisters grabbed the apples and sat down by the tree's trunk, and started to bite the fruit, giving off that signature crunchy sound.

As Daqiao looked around, she chuckled. "It's such a rare sight, isn't it?"

Xiaoqiao stopped munching on her red apple, and turned her head to look at her sister. "Huh? What is?"

"This." She looked up slightly and observed once again her surroundings. "Everything around us. Despite the war, you couldn't help but wonder how peaceful it actually is." A sad smile formed on her lips. "If only the war stopped, don't you think everyday, will look like this?" She looked at her little sister, that melancholic smile never fading away.

Xiaoqiao frowned. "Awwww…" She didn't like seeing her like this, seeing her sad made her share the same feeling. Putting down the apple next to her, she scooted closer to her. "Yup, it does look so peaceful. I bet we can finally sleep comfortably, everything just looks so cozy!" She giggled. "So don't worry sis! I'm sure everything will be better soon." She reassured her with that bright smile.

A chuckle escaped Daqiao's mouth. "Oh Xiaoqiao…" She extender her arms and ruffled her hair. Xiaoqiao was always so cheerful, and just seeing that cheerfulness always lightened her mood. That's why she really hoped that part of her never changes. "Just seeing you smile makes me happy."

Xiaoqiao grinned. "Really?! I'm glad I could make you happy!"

But Daqiao's concern still remained, and she asked, "Hey, how's your uhh wound doing?" She couldn't help it, the thought of seeing her hurt made it impossible for her to be calm. She had to be assured that her little sister was completely unscathed before she could.

"I guess it's getting better. It doesn't hurt as much as yesterday."

Daqiao nodded. "That's good, really good." Aside from that, she also had other concerns. "But Xiaoqiao, did nobody want to come with you?"

Xiaoqiao frowned as she shook her head. "They said it was too dangerous because they had catapults."

 _So that's where those large rocks came from…_ Aside from Xiaoqiao's gash, Daqiao didn't notice any other marks or serious injuries, much to her relief.

Stutters became apparent in Xiaoqiao's voice as her eyes welled up in tears. "B-But I didn't want to just s-stand there and do n-nothing..." Reaching for her face, she wiped some of her tears before continuing, "B-Because if I never saw you again… I…" Her emotional distress had caused her to stop talking and just let her tears burst out, crying on her sister's shoulder.

Daqiao tilted her head towards her sister's and put her arm around her head, caressing her hair. "Shhh… it's okay. Look, I'm here with you right now, and do you know why?" Her sister merely responded with a snuffle. "Because of what you did, and that was really brave of you. You are my hero, Xiaoqiao." She smiled warmly. "'You're by far the strongest girl I know'," she quoted her, remembering her other courageous act back in Chi Bi.

Xiaoqiao looked up at her sister, streaks of dry tears on her face. She could never forget that day. She wiped the tears away, "But that's you sis, I'm not strong…"

"But you were the one who insisted on helping them! And just look at all the things you did! For crying out loud, you literally rescued me on your own, pushing that heavy door was a lot easier when you helped, and you even dragged me all the way here with an injured arm! I mean how did you even do that?"

Xiaoqiao's snuffling soon disappeared, and turned to a giggle. She never knew being praised like this felt so good.

"I just can't thank you enough…" Daqiao suddenly smiled, an idea forming in her head. "Tell you what, after this is over, how about I prepare a _certain_ meal for you?" She smirked, knowing how she always eyed those who got to eat such a treat.

Xiaoqiao gasped, her eyes glistening in anticipation. That tone in her sister's voice was the clue. "You mean those delicious noodles mixed with meat?!"

Daqiao smiled warmly. "Mhmm."

Xiaoqiao had her mouth agape in astonishment. "B-But sis, isn't that expensive?!"

Daqiao chuckled. "Don't worry about that, I've saved quite a lot in the past few weeks." And before Xiaoqiao could even protest, she continued, "And no, it was my word, so don't feel bad about me having to spend, okay?"

Xiaoqiao felt so happy, she could just cry. Her eyes did moisten up a little, because this was the kindest gesture anyone has ever done for her. She held her hand, crying, "Thank you thank you thank you soooo much! You're the best sister ever!"

Daqiao giggled. "Alright, just don't give me those death hugs you usually do," she jokingly said.

Xiaoqiao played along. "Hehe, nope! I'll attack you with my _warmest_ hug everrr~!" She went and put her arms around her neck, embracing her tenderly, and even nuzzled her cheeks.

Daqiao couldn't help but chuckle at her cute gesture.

After the sweet embrace she gave, Xiaoqiao sat down beside her sister, looking up at the peaceful sky and environment. "Hey sis, what should we do now?"

With all that has happened, perhaps it was okay to just settle down for now. Besides, the environment was a rare sight during this time of war. And the concerns about wildlife? Prior to the ambush, Daqiao have heard many locals talking about this area around their recently invaded castle. Most, if not all, animals nearby didn't prefer eating meat, or at least human meat, so she guessed it was safe. And this spot was already good enough with the tree providing some good shade as well. Everything was in check. With that, a smile formed on the older Qiao's face.

"Let's stay here a little while longer."

* * *

That little quote came from a cutscene in Dynasty Warriors 7 Xtreme Legends, in Xiaoqiao's legend stage.


End file.
